Guest post by Seth Murphy, papadiy.com

A home is more than just a shelter; it serves as our intimate sanctuary. The atmosphere within its walls profoundly influences our emotions, efficiency, and overall well-being. Central to cultivating a calm home atmosphere is the principle of tidiness.

Through consistent cleanliness and organization, we carve out a peaceful niche that rejuvenates our soul. By embracing straightforward daily practices, our living spaces can evolve into serene havens. In this article, which is shared courtesy of Perma-Chink Systems, we will explore straightforward routines that offer both a structured environment and mental clarity.

In loving memory of our late president Rich Dunstan.

In The Beginning

In 1980 my neighbor told me about building a log home in Eastern Washington. He said that he loved the home and the lifestyle but was disappointed wind constantly blew and cold, harsh winters meant there was no real effective way to seal the gaps between the logs. The house leaked air and heat and wind-driven rain came right through the walls.

He tried various caulking materials with little success. Caulking around a bathtub or sink was significantly different from ‘caulking’ literally miles of seams between logs in a log house.  After a number of conversations and experiments, we discovered there was no readily available product that could seal the gaps, look like authentic chinking, and last more than a few months.

After months of trial and error it became apparent that if we were going to design a material that would be acceptable to our criteria, we would have to design it ourselves.

The product we were designing was to be a replacement for what was known in the Log Home Industry as “chinking” – the sealant that historically provided the seal between the logs.  A chink is a gap – as in Biblical Times, “A chink in his armor’. Therefore, chinking is a material to fill a gap. Throughout the centuries of constructing dwellings out of logs, numerous methods were used to seal in between them. Early builders used pretty much anything they could get their hands on to seal the gaps – mud, straw and mud, cow manure, or mixtures of cement and mortar.

This Michigan log home was completed by the homeowners over 2 years in 2016-2017. Red pine logs were regionally sourced from Wisconsin and northern Michigan. The homeowners peeled, sanded, stained, and sealed the log home themselves, making this home a beautiful labor of love.

The exterior is finished with Lifeline Ultra-2 Sequoia with Advance Gloss, and log gaps sealed with Perma-Chink Stone. Interior logs and beams were finished with Lifeline Ultra-2 Dark Natural and Advance Gloss topcoat for the rest. Gaps were filled with Energy Seal - Dark Natural for interior, Dark Walnut for exterior gaps.

"Using your products was so effortless with easy application, no odor, and easy clean up. We have recommended Perma-Chink to others who have log homes in the area." - Roger & Diane G.

How do I know what color PCS stain will be on my house?

Not just Beautiful, but also Durable!

In addition to building a strong home, you want to build a beautiful home, too, which is why the finished appearance of your logs is so important. No doubt that high-quality finishes will save you time and money in the long run. Longer lasting PCS finishes equates to less labor expense over the life of the finish.

Simply Unmatched.

The benefits of Lifeline Ultra are endless, but here are some points that differentiate the Lifeline brand from others.

1. Unsurpassed Adhesion to Wood

The secret behind its durability is Lifeline's state-of-the-art resin that creates a flexible and tough seal on your home’s logs. Perhaps more importantly than the seal’s strength, the resin ensures a continuous seal, providing protection from holes and gaps that might otherwise develop with an inferior finish.

2. More Resistant to UV Degradation and Color Fading

The transparent iron oxides protect your logs without resulting in a “painted” look that hides the natural texture and beauty of the wood grain. Plus, these pigments provide superior UV protection, blocking the fading and bleaching effects of the sun for a much longer period of time.

3. Water-Resistant and Breathable

All Lifeline finishes form water-resistant film that breathes just like Gore-Tex® to allow trapped moisture to evaporate while protecting the wood.

4. 5-Year Warranty 

We are so confident in the performance of Ultra-7 and Ultra-2 that it comes with a 5-year warranty against UV exposure when applied to bare wood and covered with an initial coat of Advance clear topcoat.

5. Meets and Exceeds all Standards for low-VOC

Water-based finishes lack the chemicals in oil-based finishes that are harmful to the environment and difficult to clean up. 

Unlimited Color Choices

I think we have already convinced you that the Lifeline Ultra brand is the best there in the industry for any wood home. Now here is the icing on the cake - you can choose any color your heart desires! 

Choose from any colors below or send us your desired color chip. Then let us know what base you want the color to be in - Lifeline Ultra-7, Lifeline Ultra-2, Lifeline Accents or Lifeline Exterior. 

Transparent stains develop color differently, depending primarily upon the wood species, the surface preparation, the application method and the kind of light illuminating it. Even photos can be edited in a way that alters the true color.

The only way you will really know how the stain will look is to try it on your wood. We will provide complimentary samples of Lifeline for you to try on your own wood before purchasing the product.

If you're looking for a different color than what we offer, we will make a custom stain color for you the same day. Don't wait, call us today for your custom color at 1-800-548-3554.

The Family of Standard Colors

• Butternut Butternut
• Caramel Caramel
• Midnight Midnight
• Autumn Gold Autumn Gold
• Azure Azure
• Oak Oak
• Almond Almond
• Dark Honey Dark Honey
• Newport Newport
• Cedar Cedar
• Garnet Garnet
• Cinnabar Cinnabar
• Wheat Wheat
• Chestnut Chestnut
• Natural Natural
• Bordeaux Bordeaux
• Smoke Smoke
• Black Walnut Black Walnut
• Eucalyptus Eucalyptus
• Sequoia Sequoia
• Espresso Espresso
• Hazelnut Hazelnut
• Rustic Gray Rustic Gray
• Charcoal Charcoal
• Bronze Bronze
• Sand Sand
• Umber Umber
• Walnut Walnut
• Driftwood Driftwood
• Spruce Spruce
• Evergreen Evergreen
• Stone Gray Stone Gray
• Gentry Gray Gentry Gray
• Jade Jade
• Beachwood Beachwood
• Forest Forest
• Barn Gray Barn Gray
• Fern Fern
• Classic Brown Classic Brown
• Pickled White Pickled White
•  

• Clear 110 Clear 110
• Butternut 154 Butternut 154
• Light Honey 112 Light Honey 112
• Dark Honey 122 Dark Honey 122
• Light Natural 120 Light Natural 120
• Dark Natural 130 Dark Natural 130
• Hazelnut 170 Hazelnut 170
• Cinnamon 174 Cinnamon 174
• Walnut 165 Walnut 165
• Driftwood 161 Driftwood 161
• Stone Gray 163 Stone Gray 163
• Gentry Gray 142 Gentry Gray 142
• Pickled White 150 Pickled White 150
• Seagull 152 Seagull 152
•  

• Saffron 215 Saffron 215
• Buckskin 230 Buckskin 230
• Saddle Brown 235 Saddle Brown 235
• Slate 242 Slate 242
• Mesquite 250 Mesquite 250
• Silver Mist 262 Silver Mist 262
• Smoky Sky 263 Smoky Sky 263
• Sable 265 Sable 265
• Russet 266 Russet 266
• Cimarron 274 Cimarron 274
•